REPORT on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, in accordance with point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management
4.12.2008 - (COM(2008)0732 – C6‑0393/2008 – 2008/2317(ACI))
Committee on Budgets
Rapporteur: Reimer Böge
MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, in accordance with point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management
(COM(2008)0732 – C6‑0393/2008 – 2008/2317(ACI))
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council (COM(2008)0732 – C6‑0393/2008),
– having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management[1], and in particular point 26 thereof,
– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund[2],
– having regard to the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, adopted during the conciliation meeting on 17 July 2008 on the Solidarity Fund,
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets and to the opinion of the Committee on Regional Development (A6‑0474/2008),
1. Approves the decision annexed to this resolution;
2. Instructs its President to sign the decision with the President of the Council and arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;
3. Instructs its President to forward this resolution, including its annex, to the Council and Commission.
ANNEX: DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of xx December 2008
on mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund, in accordance with point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound financial management[1], and in particular point 26 thereof,
having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund[2],
having regard to the Commission proposal,
Whereas:
(1) The European Union has created a European Union Solidarity Fund ('the Fund') to show solidarity with the population of regions struck by disasters.
(2) The Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 allows the mobilisation of the Fund within the annual ceiling of EUR 1 billion.
(3) Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 contains the provisions whereby the Fund may be mobilised.
(4) Cyprus has submitted an application to mobilise the Fund, concerning a disaster caused by drought.
HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
For the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2008, the European Union Solidarity Fund shall be mobilised to provide the sum of EUR 7 605 445 in commitment and payment appropriations.
Article 2
This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Strasbourg, ... December 2008.
For the European Parliament For the Council
The President The President
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
The Commission proposes to mobilise the European Solidarity Fund in favour of Cyprus on the basis of point 26 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006. The IIA allows the mobilisation of the Fund within the annual ceiling of EUR 1 billion. During 2008 a global amount of 273.191.197 Euros has been mobilised in favour of respectively the UK (162.387.985 Euros), Greece (89.769.009 Euros), Slovenia (8.254.203 Euros) and France (Guadalupe and Martinique - 12 780 000 Euros).
The Commission has presented an amending budget (AB No 10/2008) in order to enter in the 2008 budget specific commitment and payment appropriation as foreseen in point 26 of the IIA.
Cyprus applied for assistance of Fund following the drought that affected the country last springtime and culminated in April 2008. After verifying that this application complies with the eligibility criteria of Council regulation (EC) N° 2012/2002), the Commission proposes to mobilise the EU solidarity Fund for a total amount of EUR 7 605 445, to be allocated under heading 3b of the Financial Framework. The amount corresponds to a reduction in payment appropriations of 7 605 445 Mio Euro from the budget line 13 04 02 (Cohesion Fund - Heading 1b).
The Rapporteur welcomes that the Commission has proposed the EUSF mobilisation as the sole issue in the PDAB 11/2008, and reminds that on 17 July 2008, during the conciliation between the two arms of the budgetary authority, the Parliament and the Council in a common declaration stated that they "(…) welcome the Commission commitment according to which, as from now, every preliminary draft amending budget required by the mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund will be solely for that purpose."
According to point 26 of the IIA, a trialogue should be held before the two arms of the budgetary authority give their agreement to the mobilisation. Due to the urgency the amending budget 11/2008 both arms of the budgetary authority agreed on a simplified procedure.
The Committee on Regional Development expressed its positive opinion in a letter attached to this report.
The amount of damage and the aid proposed by the Commission can be resumed as follows:
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(EUR) |
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Direct damage |
Threshold |
Amount based on 2.5% |
Amount basedon 6%
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Total amount ofaid proposed
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Cyprus/Drought |
176 150 000 |
84 673 000 |
2 116 825 |
5 488 620 |
7 605 445 |
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Total |
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7 605 445 |
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The Rapporteur recommends the approval of the Commission proposal for a decision annexed to this report.
OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Mr. Reimer Böge
Chairman
Committee on Budget
Subject: The European Commission's proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and the Council on the mobilisation of the EU Solidarity Fund (COM(2008) 732 final)
Dear Mr Böge,
In order to avoid undue delay in approving this measure which the committee on Budgets intends to adopt as soon as possible, I am pleased to inform you that the committee on Regional Development has no objection to the mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund to provide the sum of Euro 7.605.445 to Cyprus as proposed by the European Commission and in accordance with the rules laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 and Regulation N° 2012/2002.
Yours sincerely,
Gerardo Galeote
RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE
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Date adopted |
2.12.2008 |
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Result of final vote |
+: –: 0: |
15 0 0 |
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Members present for the final vote |
Reimer Böge, Costas Botopoulos, Brigitte Douay, Catherine Guy-Quint, Jutta Haug, Ville Itälä, Anne E. Jensen, Janusz Lewandowski, Vladimír Maňka, Margaritis Schinas, László Surján, Kyösti Virrankoski, Ralf Walter |
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Substitute(s) present for the final vote |
Marusya Ivanova Lyubcheva, Gianluca Susta |
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